Bengaluru. Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra on Wednesday stressed on making track and field athletics events more attractive and marketable to Indian fans.
The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist, with whom he became the first Indian to stand on the podium in track and field events at the sporting showpiece, shared his views on what is wrong with this discipline of athletics in the country.
“First of all, I think the international competitions we compete in like the Diamond League, Continental Tours and the World Athletics Championships should be telecast in India.
Chopra said, “Currently, we get to see only the highlights, although people want to watch athletics, they stay awake till 1-2 am in the night and wait for the athletes to play, but after not being able to see them, they feel disappointed. Have to face.” Said.
He was addressing a gathering at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India.
Telecasting of athletics events on TV will allow more people to start watching, understanding and raising awareness about the events in which Indians compete, Chopra said.
RCB Innovation Lab is an initiative that brings together people from the world of international sports “to create a platform where impactful dialogue and exchange of innovative ideas takes center stage”.
The Haryana-born athlete has had an extraordinary year so far, winning gold medals at the Asian Games and the World Athletics Championships.
Chopra also highlighted how much India’s sports ecosystem has evolved over the years, stressing on the need to organize international competitions in India which could be a game-changer for athletics.
“If countries like Kenya and Grenada can host international athletics competitions at a world-class level on a regular basis, India has great potential to do the same.
“Whenever I meet people from the World Athletics Organisation, they express interest in hosting such tournaments in India. I hope (that) if India can host such competitive events, more people can watch such championships in person and get inspired,” Chopra said.
Speaking about his preparations after coming back from the break, he said, “My preparation will start with removing the extra fat that has accumulated over the last few days.
“When I was in my hometown I ate a lot of milk, ghee, churma and sweets. I tried my best to control it but couldn’t. But I know that once I start my training I will be able to progress in 2-3 weeks’ time.
